Kim, Ron and the Pope
by TwilightSparkle3562
Summary: Kim and Ron travel to the Vatican for an audience with the Pope himself.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own "Kim Possible" or its characters. They are property of the Walt Disney Company and its affiliates.

"Kim, Ron and the Pope"

By TwilightSparkle3562

Chapter 1

"A Holy Admirer"

Ever since Ron and I had become boyfriend and girlfriend on the fateful night of our junior prom, it seemed like my life was going to be going through a series of changes. I wasn't going to be single anymore, Ron and I were going to be together for better or for worse. However, in days since we declared our love for one another, I couldn't help but question the fact that I was going to be someone who was not only someone who I had known for most of my life, but also someone of different faith.

I was Catholic, he was Jewish.

What was the difference in that? Maybe I was just overreacting to the situation at large. But, there was going to be a time where I would get advice from someone who was other than my family or my circle of friends.

…

It all started about a week after the prom. The diablo incident was still being talked about and I was still trying to get over the fact that Eric was a synthrodrome merely around for the purpose of weakening me. It was Sunday, a day that my family and I would head to church for our weekly visit with God.

"Kim," my dad remarked as we all drove towards the church. "You've been awfully quiet for the past few days and your mother and I have been worried about you."

"Oh, um, sorry guys," I stammered, scratching the back of my neck. "I've just had a lot on my mind since Ron and I became a couple."

"Well, it is going to take some time," said my mother, putting lipstick on her lips. "Come to think of it, its going to take time for all of us."

"That's just it," I said, fidgeting with the red pendant around my neck. "Don't you realize that Ron and I becoming a couple is going to take time? In fact, part of me can't help but worry about the future. There are certain aspects to the both of us that we have to consider."

"Well, there is a reason why you and Father James have post Sunday mass meetings, Kimmie cub," said James. "Perhaps you could your feelings with him and he can help you."

It was true at the fact that meeting with a priest every Sunday was somewhat refreshing. Father James had been there for me and my family during our time of upheaval and this was certainly no exception to the rule.

…

Going into church, we went through the ritual of going through mass and soon, the time had come for me and Father James to have our weekly meeting.

"Father James," I said, walking into his office in the church basement. "Nice mass as always."

"Thank you, Kim," he replied, offering me to sit down on his sofa. "Please, have a seat. You know I always look forward to our post mass get togethers."

"That I can understand," I sighed, adjusting the hem of the sleeveless navy blue dress I was wearing and scratching my stocking clad left leg. "So much has been happening to me with the diablo incident and all."

"I've read the papers and hopefully now, your archenemy can spend the rest of his life behind bars for what he did. How have you been holding up?"

"Been trying to hold up, but there is something important I have to tell you, Father."

"What is it, Kimberly?"

"You know, Ron, my friend since childhood? Well, he and I…are a couple now."

"Well, congratulations!" he said, with a huge smile on his face while rising out of his chair. "That is delightful news, Kimberly! He certainly seems like a really nice person for you."

"Yes, Ron is someone who has certainly been there for me, Father. But, I can't help wonder and this may seem a little against the faith, but is it all right for people of different faiths to have a relationship?"

For a moment, it seemed like that there was going to be an awkward silence between shepherd and sheep. However, that was not to be.

"Kimberly, of course you can have a relationship with someone outside the faith," he advised, drinking a cup of coffee. "What other religion is he?"

"He's Jewish."

"Well, I can't say that is a bad thing, Kimberly. Catholics and Jews have certainly come a long way from the time of Jesus. Do his parents have any problem with you have a relationship with him?"

"I can't say that they had anything against me. They know me and understand that Ron and I might have a future together. The last boyfriend I had was Catholic, but we parted ways. He and I are still platonic."

"So, what are you trying to say?"

"That maybe God doesn't want me to be with someone outside of the Catholic faith."

As I spoke, I couldn't help but notice Father James writing down what appeared to be on a piece of paper.

"Is that true?" he asked. "Because I am sure that God has no qualms about marrying outside of the faith. In fact, perhaps maybe you should consider the possibility of asking someone higher than me."

"The bishop?"

"No, Kimberly," he said. "I make about four trips to the Vatican every year to visit with his holiness, the Pope. Perhaps maybe you could with me to Rome and see for yourself what God really thinks about you having a relationship outside of the faith."

All I could do was just sit there with my eyes wide open. Was this really happening? Was I being offered a chance to come have an audience with the Pope himself? I didn't know what to say and I didn't know what to do.

"Father James, I…I don't know what to say," I stammered. "You want me…to…?"

"As a matter of fact," interrupted Father James, reaching into his desk and pulling out another piece of paper. "My fellow priest in Rome has mentioned to me that his holiness has expressed deep interest in meeting you personally, Kimberly as well as Ron."

It was very hard to believe that my fame and fortune of saving the world had gone so far as to reach the Pope himself.

"I'll let you think about it and then we can discuss it more when we meet again next Sunday, what do you say?"

Without saying another word, I shook hands with Father James and walked out of the office being totally shocked and surprised. The Pope, the leader of the entire Catholic faith, wanted to meet me, Kim Possible and my sidekick/boyfriend, Ron Stoppable in person!

…

Nevertheless, I needed to tell Ron about this, but I wasn't sure how he, a Jewish young man, was going to react to all of this…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Talking about the Vatican"

The idea of having Ron and I head to Rome to meet with the head of the Catholic church was still processing even three days after my meeting with Father James. Of course, given the fact that we were just a few weeks after the junior prom and the diablo invasion at large, it wasn't surprising. Still, I had to consider the possibility of Ron not taking this very well.

"The pope?!" Ron cried during one of our weekly meetings at Bueno Nacho. "You want us to meet with the Pope?! Kim, I'm not Catholic, so how would it be possible for me to get an audience with him?"

"Ron, from a religious standpoint," I replied. "I think, in the eyes of God, that we aren't meant to be together. Yes, I know we are destined to be together, but does God accept that?"

"So what if God doesn't accept for who we are, Kim? I love you and that's all there is to it."

"I know I love you, Ron. We've been a couple for a few weeks now, but I feel that God might be holding us back from each other. I mean, haven't you spoken to the Rabbi about this?"

"I did and he was cool with it. Then again, we have different religious views, despite our romance for one another."

Ron did have a point. In fact, there were some people in the world who judged one another based on their religions. Thankfully, both of us had yet to encounter such a thing.

"So, when do you think we should head to the Pope's house?" he asked.

"You mean, the Vatican?" I remarked, taking a bite of the Caesar salad in front of me. "My church's priest makes a few pilgrimages to Rome a year, so…"

"…he wants us to accompany him to Rome and meet with the Pope personally, is that it?"

"Yes," I answered. "Given the fact that we are going to be seniors and that we are in love, I think it would be best to get blessings from the Pope himself."

All Ron could do was just sit there and stare at me, trying to process everything that I had told him.

"Well," he finally said, taking an enormous gulp. "I need to think about this for a little while, KP. Can I get back to you in few days?"

"Sure, I'm not seeing my priest until after mass Sunday. In fact, why don't you come to my meeting on Sunday? I know you meet with the Rabbi at the Synagogue and…"

"Kim, let me think about this," Ron interrupted, rising out of the booth. "It's not that I don't want to do it, personally, it's just that this is against my religion. Love you."

Kissing me, I watched Ron hastily leave Bueno Nacho and I could tell that he was nervous. As far as I was concerned, Ron was very sensitive when it came to his Jewish upbringing just as I was with my Catholic upbringing.

…

So, a few days went by and Ron eventually came to me with his answer.

"All right, Kim, so I thought it over and talked it over with my folks," he said on the phone the night before Sunday. "And they said I can meet with you and your priest this week. But, they wanted me to not get any ideas of converting."

"I'm not asking you to give up your Jewish faith for me Ron. Trust me, this is just an informal meeting about a possible meeting with his holiness, that's all. Mass ends at 11:00am, so come by then."

"If you say so, Kim," Ron replied. "But, should I not wear my yamuka in a church?"

"In a Catholic church? I wouldn't think so. Try not to worry about all of this, though, Ron. You're just a human being like me and so is Father James. Besides, I've always wanted to visit Rome outside of being on missions. Also given the fact that we are graduating this year, we should visit both Rome and even the Holy Land. I've always wanted to walk the footsteps of Jesus, you know."

"Let's worry about this first and then we can worry about the Holy Land," Ron advised. "Listen, my folks are calling me downstairs, so I gotta go. See you Sunday! Love you!"

Just that, he hung up the phone and I was left with the dubious distinction of dealing with a nerve wracking Jewish boyfriend whom I loved very much.

…

The next morning was Sunday and I got up out of bed and put on my sleeveless navy blue dress, dark stockings and black wedge sandals looking at myself in the mirror wondering just how Ron was going to go through with this.

Again, it was important to remember, he was Jewish, I was Catholic.

Once we arrived at Mass, we went through the ritual of going through the celebration of the Holy Eucharist and soon, the time had come for me to wait for Ron to arrive. All I could do was just stand outside of the church and wait.

"Hope everything goes well with Father James," said my mom. "What time will you be back at the house?"

"Probably in about an hour or so," I answered, looking over at her. "Mom, have you ever known of anyone in your life who had a relationship with someone of a different religion."

"Quite a few, Kimmie. But, I will say this, all that matters is that you love Ron for who he is just as he loves you for who you are, regardless of your faith, looks, you name it. I raised you to become a beautiful young woman and that's what you have become Kim. Never ever forget that."

I couldn't help but blush slightly at this and at that moment, I saw Ron pull into the church on his scooter, dressed in a nice blue shirt and black pants with a red necktie, which meant that he was just as nervous about this meeting as I thought he was. Even when he was on his scooter, Ron continued to look nervous and I couldn't really blame him. Still, he needed to pull himself together for the sake of our relationship. There was no turning back even if he wanted to.

"Hi Ron," I said as we kissed each other. "Why are you dressed up in a suit? Father James isn't going to care about how you look."

"Well, he certainly cares about how you look, Kim," Ron advised, as I nudged him in the side gently.

"Just take a deep breath and be yourself, Ron," remarked my mother. "Father James isn't really going to give you a hard time just because you are of a different faith."

"If you say so, Mrs. Dr. P," chuckled Ron nervously as we made our way back into the church for our meeting with Father James and only time would tell how Ron was going to get through this.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Ron Meets Father James"

"Ron, get a hold of yourself," I whispered to Ron as we walked down to Father James' office. "You're acting like you are going to an execution."

"Sorry, Kim," Ron whispered back. "But, I'm meeting with a priest, a priest! Have you ever seen _Fiddler on the Roof_? The youngest daughter got disowned because she married someone outside of the faith."

All I could do was roll my eyes and simply just focus on the meeting at hand. Father James was already outside his office waiting for us.

"I was wondering when you were going to arrive," he remarked to us. "You must be Ronald, I suppose?"

"Um, yeah, I'm Ronald."

"Don't be nervous," laughed Father James. "Kimberly has told me so much about you."

Although he had been told not to be nervous, Ron was nervous nonetheless. But, perhaps this was going to be a much better meeting than it seemed to be.

"So, Ronald," began Father James as he sat behind his desk and folded his hands. "I would like to congratulate you on becoming a boyfriend to Kimberly here."

"Well, we have known each other since we were kids, you know, Father. We've gone on missions together and well…here we are, I suppose."

Ron nervously continued to stare at the priest and it was then that I decided to step into the conversation.

"Ron, don't forget the reason of why we are here," I advised, looking over at him. "God is raising an eyebrow at our relationship."

"What makes you say that?"

"The fact of the matter is that Kim is concerned God is disapproving of your relationship," explained Father James. "Because of your respective religious backgrounds and the fact that his holiness, the Pope, would like to meet both of you personally."

"I am aware of that. I like the fact that we are gaining the fans of the holy source, but…"

"But?"

"But," interjected Kim. "The fact of the matter is for us to get the blessings of his holiness on our relationship."

"That is correct, Kimberly. However, Ronald, you must remember that being of a different faith does not and should not define whom you are in love with. The pope will do everything in his power to not judge you because of your Jewish faith. In fact, Jews and Christians have coexisted far more better in recent centuries. Yes, they are both still judged for who they are, but we can't let those feelings get to us."

"Who says that we are being judged?" Ron asked, nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"Bonnie for one," I answered, raising an eyebrow. "You know just how judgmental she is of our relationship, Ron. She was the one who tried to embarrass us by laughing at us when we returned to the prom."

"How could I forget?"

"And that is an example of what it means to be judged, Ronald," remarked Father James. "At the end of the day, God will be the one who judges us all, not others who coexist with us. His holiness has no intention of judging both of you based on your relationship with each other. From the moment you step into the Vatican, you will see that judging others is not allowed."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I've been there, Ronald, so many times. All you have to do is be yourself."

Ron took a deep sigh and tried to absorb all that had been said to him. He knew very well now that all he needed to do was to be himself.

"Now," said Father James. "When are you both due to start school?"

"After Labor Day," I answered.

"Good, because I have yet to schedule my next trip to Rome. Perhaps we should plan to schedule towards the end of August for the both of you to meet with the Pope. I can assure you that he is very much looking forward to meeting the both of you. And since you are both graduating from high school at the end of this upcoming school year, there is no question that you should both be blessed by his holiness."

…

"So, that's it?" Ron asked as we left the church on Ron's scooter. "We are meeting wit the Pope at the end of August?"

"Just think of it as kind of our first personal summer vacation since becoming a couple," I answered. "Besides, Bonnie is still going to be breathing down our necks and nothing would appreciate more than to shut her up about something."

Ron absorbed this kind of information and he knew that I was right. Out of all the people who always disapproved of our relationship even before we became a couple, it was Bonnie.

"Maybe she could come with us to Rome?" suggested Ron as we pulled up to my house. "It would be a wake up for us."

"First of all, Ron," I said as I got off his scooter. "Bonnie and I don't even go to the same church and who knows what religion she is a part of? All I can say is that it's probably not on the same level as me. Just try to not let it get to you, okay?"

"If you say so."

So, we kissed each other on the lips and I watched Ron pull his scooter into his driveway as I walked into my house.

"Hey Kim," said my father. "How did it go with Father James?"

"Okay," I replied, putting my purse on the kitchen counter. "Ron was nervous throughout in case you were wondering, even with reassurance from Father James. But, we are looking into flying out to meet the Pope at the end of August."

"It's perfect timing, Kim," said my mother. "That way, the pope isn't only going to be blessing you both on your relationship, but also the final year of high school. You know how big of a year your senior year is going to be, don't you?"

"Yes, I could sure use his blessing," I remarked. "Listen, I've got some summer reading to do. Why don't we catch up after I'm done?"

Proceeding to leave the kitchen while still trying to process my own feelings about the situation, I changed out of my dress and into more comfortable summer clothes, I set about thinking of how this was all going to go going forward.

I will admit it, I was also a little nervous myself. Okay, perhaps not as nervous as Ron was, but I am sure you can get the point of it. Thankfully, I had summer reading to do for school and that was a good distraction from all that was going on.

But, the gauntlet had already been thrown down. Ron and I were heading to Rome towards the end of August and we needed to prepare ourselves to meet the leader of the Catholic Church…


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Just Ignore Bonnie"

Ever since our meeting with Father James the previous Sunday, all that I could think of trying to keep Ron's anxieties about this whole thing of going to meet the Pope down to a minimum. Still, I couldn't really blame him for being nervous of the fact that he, a Jew, was in love with me, a Catholic. The last thing that both of us wanted to have was instigators, especially Bonnie.

"Kim, you can't let Bonnie or some religion just dictate your relationship with Ron," advised Monique one day at our summer job at Club Banana. "You are both who you are and a personal meeting with the Pope? No one has ever gotten such an honor."

"I know, but even if Father James seemed wise in his sayings," I remarked, folding a new pair of jeans. "Ron still seems nervous about it. I just don't know what else to say to him and it's like I said, Bonnie is still going to criticize our relationship. Ron and I are who we are and there is nothing else to it."

"Exactly, Kim. You are both who you are. What these people are is nothing more than blabbermouths, girlfriend. You just got to ignore them and think of this as nothing more than mindless back chatter. I mean, you are meeting with the Pope and I am sure you will need a new outfit for the occasion."

Mindless back chatter? That was the understatement of the day. Perhaps maybe Bonnie and those who were against our relationship were just jealous because they didn't get to go on missions like us, they didn't get to travel the world like us, you name it.

Still, I got through the workday like any other and eventually returned home to focus on summer readings and assignments for my Advanced Placement classes. However, they weren't on my mind, this trip to Rome was. Part of me wanted to just fast forward time and have us in an audience with his holiness. In fact, even though Ron was nervous about meeting the Pope, I too was a little nervous.

"Hello?" I asked when I heard the Kimmunicator ring and finding out it was Ron on the other line.

"Hey, KP," Ron answered. "Can't really seem to think about Summer Reading right now."

"Funny you should say that, because I'm thinking the same way. Any posts from Bonnie on Facebook?"

"None yet," I sighed, going onto my laptop and onto Facebook. "Come to think of it, I don't even understand why I even followed her on Facebook. We don't like each other and well, you know how she feels about us. Personally, part of me hopes that she doesn't get her diploma when we graduate."

"Honestly, KP, I can't help but agree with you on that one. That girl needs a taste of her own medicine and didn't you always say that Catholic's have a spiritual connection?"

"Yeah."

"Perhaps your lord and savior needs to take care of Bonnie for us, create an event that would prevent her from getting her diploma. That will teach her to judge us based on our religions."

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself slightly. To be honest, Bonnie not graduating with me and Ron would be nothing more than karma on her end. Nothing more than paying for all the times she had criticized our romance.

Just then, I heard the house phone ring and I couldn't help but think it was Father James trying to call us in regards to our pilgrimage to Rome. Then, I heard a knock at the door.

"Kim?" I heard my mom say as she peaked into the room. "Father James wants to talk to you."

Taking the phone, I shut the door eager to what Father James had to say.

"Hello, Kimberly?" he asked on the other line.

"Hi, Father James, what's up?"

"Well, I have some good news for you and Ronald," he answered. "I've just been assigned for my visit to the Vatican and it is right at the end of the August like we talked about. Will you and Ronald be willing to travel around that time?"

"Well, there isn't anything else that is in our schedule, Father," I remarked, looking at my calendar. "I'll send Ron a text and tell him that we are meeting with the Pope personally at the end of August."

"Excellent."

"Actually, Father James, I was thinking back to our meeting this past Sunday and I couldn't help but wonder about…how shall I put this? There is a girl at our school who is very against our relationship and…"

"Is that so?" he interrupted. "Well, just remember what I said about Jews and Catholics having been co-existing for thousands of years. I want you to picture this girl at your school for a moment, what is her name?"

"Bonnie Rockwaller."

"Kimberly, I want you to think of what we do before Easter every year. We are tempted by figures in the devil's likeliness every day. This Bonnie person of yours is perhaps a personification of the devil himself. She is more than likely trying to tempt you in breaking off your relationship with Ronald for the sole purpose of him being a Jew."

Personally, I was more than a little shocked to be given this sort of comparison. I knew Bonnie was really a thorn in my side, but I didn't expect her to be compared to the devil himself.

"And the only one who can protect you from being tempted," continued Father James. "Is God himself. The pope is the rock of Jesus, a servant of God and he is the one who is responsible for watching over every single sheep in his flock. It doesn't matter whether Ronald is of Jewish faith or not, as long as he is in love with you, he is a member of that flock."

Ron, a member of the Catholic flock of sheep because he was in love with me? I was beginning to like the sound of that.

"But, I am sure that his holiness will tell you more when you both have your audience with him," finished Father James. "Now, I am having my administrative assistant send you the flight and hotel information along with what to bring with you to Italy and one other thing: the Vatican has a very strict dress code."

"That won't be a problem, Father James," I chuckled. "I'm sure I have something in my closet that will be suitable for a meeting with his holiness."

"In that case, I have no worries on that," laughed Father James. "Let me know when you discuss the information with Ronald. God Bless."

"God Bless."

So, I went about reviewing what was in front of me and the thought of Ron being in the Catholic flock still processing in my head. Then again, Ron was probably going to be in denial that this was even true to begin with. However, it was going to take this meeting with his holiness to get him to understand the whole truth and nothing but the truth…


End file.
